Hannover Hauptbahnhof is one of the most important railway hubs in Lower Saxony and Germany. The through station is always busy. Long-distance and local trains from a wide range of providers arrive and depart day and night on twelve tracks open to passenger traffic. The issue of changing trains at this station is correspondingly relevant. The following overview provides travellers with a quick overview and orientation of the situation on site in advance of their stay at Hannover Hauptbahnhof.
At Hannover Hauptbahnhof, travellers find it even easier to transfer trains if they have an overview beforehand.
Change trains at Hannover Hauptbahnhof: from the train to the train
Changing trains at Hannover Hauptbahnhof sometimes has to be quick. If the planned connecting train stops directly on the opposite platform, changing trains is a child's play. If, on the other hand, you need to change platforms to continue your journey, this can take several minutes.
With an area of around 100,000 square metres, the station extends over two levels: The ground floor of the station building and the platform level with a total of six platforms and two tracks each. On the ground floor, a wide central tunnel immediately adjoins the entrance hall at Ernst-August-Platz and leads to the north exit at Raschplatz. This tunnel not only serves as a promenade for Mein_EinkaufsBahnhof Hannover Hauptbahnhof, but also provides direct access to the platforms. The tracks appear in pairs at each platform. Track 1 and 2, track 3 and 4 and track 7 and 8 each share a platform. The signposting to platform 5 and 6 is missing at Hannover Hauptbahnhof. Even vigilant travellers and visitors will not discover them. The reason for this is very simple: The tracks 5 and 6 are not used for passenger traffic, but exclusively for freight, shunting and through traffic. Anyone who knows this will be less surprised when they stop at the station.
Both permanently installed staircases and escalators connect the ground floor with the track level and its platforms. In addition, elevators provide barrier-free access to the individual platforms. An overview of the lifts at Hannover Hauptbahnhof, including their respective operating status, can be found on the station details page under the tile "elevators". In addition, a map of the station and its surroundings can be found on the station details page under the "map" tile. This makes it possible to find out in advance how to get from one platform to the next planned departure point. At the station, digital displays and loudspeaker announcements provide information about possible track changes.
If the platforms are next to each other, the transfer time from one train to another is around five minutes. If you have to change from platform 3 to platform 12 with luggage, for example, you should allow at least 15 minutes for the change without rushing.
Transfer at Hannover Hauptbahnhof: from the train to the S-Bahn and Stadtbahn
If you are planning to change to public transport at Hannover Hauptbahnhof, this is usually very easy. As the gateway to the capital of Lower Saxony, Hannover Hauptbahnhof has direct access to the S-Bahn and the Stadtbahn, known elsewhere as the U-Bahn. Trains on S-Bahn lines 1, 2, 4 and 5 and express lines 21 and 51 depart from the platform at tracks 1 and 2 near the exit at Ernst-August-Platz. During major trade fairs in Hanover, the S8 line between the airport and the exhibition centre in Laatzen also serves this platform. At the Raschplatz exit, however, tracks 13 and 14 serve as the terminus and starting point for the S-Bahn lines S3, S6 and S7. This means that travellers at Hannover Hauptbahnhof do not even have to leave the station to change to the S-Bahn.
It is also easy to change trains at Hannover Hauptbahnhof to the Stadtbahn, which is known elsewhere as the U-Bahn. Its stop is located under Raschplatz. Using the elevator at track 1 or the stairs, the two platforms of the Stadtbahn can be reached via level -1 and a subsequent trip down an escalator one level below the station. There is a further access point from the northern exit at Hannover Hauptbahnhof, so that the Stadtbahn system is easy to reach even if you arrive at different locations at the station. Lines 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 serve the four tracks of the Stadtbahn. During trade fairs, trains on line 18 also run on the outer tracks. There are also stops for lines 10 and 17 at the main entrance of the station at Ernst-August-Platz
Change trains at Hannover Hauptbahnhof: from the train to the bus
At the main entrance to the station at Ernst-August-Platz, it is also possible to change to buses at the Stadtbahn stops. Bus lines 121, 128, 134 and 170 depart from there. Regional bus lines 300, 500, 700 and 900 also stop around 150 metres away on Rosenstraße opposite the Ernst-August-Galerie shopping centre, while domestic and international long-distance bus lines depart from the central bus station (ZOB) on Rundestraße. This is around 90 metres from Hannover Hauptbahnhof. The map of Hannover Hauptbahnhof also provides information on the locations of the bus stops and other public transport connections.